1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wood-splitting wedges and more particularly to a wedge for starting a crack into which may be inserted a conventional wedge for completing the splitting.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional wedges are elongated and have four sides, two of these converging to a chisel edge. The wedge is used to split wood rounds by impacting the head end with a sledgehammer. Normally, the wedge is hand held prior to the initial impact which constitutes a hazard to the person holding the wedge should the initial blow miss its mark. A further hazard lies in the effect of the wedge bouncing and not penetrating on the initial blow, which has resulted in the wedge flying off in unpredictable directions and causing injury to a person or property. Prior art wedges have taken different designs and configurations, typical of these being disclosed in the following listed U.S. Pat. Nos. 212,230; 1,283,195; 3,982,572; 4,033,390; 4,209,046 and U.S. Pat. No. De. 257,575.
The aforesaid U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,046 discloses in combination with a conventional wedge a pair of orthogonally related quartering blades, it being the intention to quarter a wood round for a single usage of the wedge device. The problems explained hereinabove still remain since the portion of the wedge device which initially penetrates the wood round is the chisel edge of the conventional wedge portion thereof.